What does "valley" mean?
An elongated depression cast between hills or mountains, often with a river flowing through it.
Valley
/ˈvæli/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An elongated depression cast between hills or mountains, often with a river flowing through it.
- Grammar: valley is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: vale, dale, dell, abysm.
- Useful contrasts: earthen embankment, a wide range, aconcagua.
- Usage evidence: A beautiful valley lies behind the hill.
How to use "valley"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "valley" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "valley" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "valley" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "valley" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "valley" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "vale" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "valley", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An elongated depression cast between hills or mountains, often with a river flowing through it.
"The Indus River valley was the site of an ancient civilization."
- 2 a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river wordnet
- 3 An area which drains itself into a river.
- 4 Any structure resembling one, e.g. the interior angle formed by the intersection of two sloping roof planes.
Verb
- 1 To form the shape of a valley. intransitive, poetic, rare
"These hues of red rose and green and pale green, ruffled and pouted in the billowy white of the dress ballooning and valleying softly, like a yacht before the sail bends low; […]"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from landforms. countable
- 2 Ellipsis of the San Fernando Valley: a valley of southern California, United States. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
"The Valley is getting downright cosmopolitan, but it’s unlikely the region will ever completely morph into a hip haven."
- 3 A placename:; A community in Colchester, Nova Scotia, Canada. countable, uncountable
- 4 Ellipsis of Silicon Valley. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
"The sunshine, the abundance of U.S. government research grants, the willingness of Stanford University to let its professors walk out the door with their inventions and start companies, the presence of a counterculture intent on arming the masses with new technology—all made the Valley the place to be for people with a knack for building new technology."
- 5 A placename:; A city in Chambers County, Alabama, United States, on the Georgia state line. countable, uncountable
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A placename:; A city in Nebraska, United States. countable, uncountable
- 7 A placename:; A number of townships in the United States, listed under Valley Township. countable, uncountable
- 8 A placename:; A village and community in Anglesey, Wales (OS grid ref SH2979). countable, uncountable
Example
"A beautiful valley lies behind the hill."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "valley"?
Common synonyms include: vale, dale, dell, abysm, abyss, arroyo.
How do you use "valley" in a sentence?
A beautiful valley lies behind the hill.
How do you pronounce "valley"?
Pronounced /ˈvæli/.
Etymology
From Middle English valeye, valey, from Anglo-Norman valey, Old French valee (compare French vallée), from Latin vallēs/vallis. Doublet of vlei and vly. Displaced native dene, from dene and partially displaced native dale, from dæl.